Ships and Boats
Creating LEGO ships and boats may seem like the easiest things to build, but in reality, they are one of the most difficult objects to create. This page will teach you what you would want to do to create your ship/boat. After reading this, all you have to do is put it together and enjoy your marvelous creation! Small-Medium Sized Models ''Double Bottoms'' Double Bottoms are a key part in the building of a model ship. They not only add a sense of realism, but gives the ship the stability it needs to stay afloat (if you are to put it in water.) Without the inclusion of a double bottom, the LEGO ship would be unstable and topple over once it reaches the water. However, LEGO ships don't always require double bottoms if they are not going to be used in water. Double Bottoms always consist of two layers: a base layer and a supporting layer. The base layer is always the starting layer when creating the ship as it forms the basic outline for the ship. The picture to the left shows what a basic base layer would look like if one were to use a double bottom hull. The next layer, known as the supporting layer, is what makes a double bottom a double bottom. The supporting layer's purpose is to keep the base layer together and watertight. There are a couple of different ways of making the supporting layer, but on this page, I show two of the most common methods of making double bottom hulls. The picture to the right shows one of the methods you will learn about below. The most common way of making a double bottom is called overlapping. What you have to do for this is overlap flat bricks over one another, as the name suggests. The example to the left shows two 4x6 plates overlapped by one 4x4 plate. The overlapping method allows for even distrabution of weight along the ship and it creates a watertight seal. This method is the most effective way of creating a double bottom. Another method of creating a double bottom is what I like to call riveting. What one needs to do is place flat 1x pieces along the outer edge of the base plates or layer one. Then, the builder must place 2x pieces on the seperating lines between each base plate (as seen in the picture to the right.) This method is almost as effective as overlapping, however, this design is slightly more prone to flooding. Once your double bottom is complete, you can start working on the hull of your model ship. ''Hulls'' The Hull is the backbone and the largest part of a ship, so design is key when it comes to making a good-looking hull. The colors used should for the hull should be the same or similar to the ones on the boat you are trying to create/recreate. Hulls can have the double bottom placed at the center of the hull or at the bottom of it (I prefer it in the center for a more realistic feel.) There are many ways for creating a hull. Here we show three different ways, two of which are variations of one, each one using the double bottom in some way. ''Decks'' ''Superstructures'' ''Miscellaneous Details'' ''Gallery'' Category:Instructions Category:LEGO Category:Vehicles Category:Ocean-transportation